Athletic garment with integrated hanging pocket

ABSTRACT

One non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes an athletic garment including a garment configured to snugly fit a torso wherein the garment has a front portion and a rear portion. The athletic garment further includes a pocket secured to the rear portion of the garment providing a pocket for containing items therein. The pocket includes a secured portion and a hanging portion wherein the secured portion is secured to the garment and the hanging portion is not secured to the garment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/843,378, filed Dec. 15, 2017, titled ATHLETIC GARMENT WITH INTEGRATEDHANGING POCKET, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/802,245, filed Mar. 13, 2013, titled ATHLETIC GARMENT WITHINTEGRATED HANGING POCKET. Each of the foregoing applications are herebyincorporated by reference herein in their entirety and are considered tobe a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to athletic garments and, in particular,athletic garments having an integrated hanging pocket.

Description of the Related Art

Many bicycle riders wear tight fitting clothing which can stretch andflex. The clothing may be a one piece bib liner style athletic garmentor the clothing may comprise separate garments, a jersey and a short forexample. The tight fitting garments sometimes include a pocket in whichthe rider can store tools, food, water, and extra clothing. Often, thesepockets are located on the back of the garment near the rider's lowerback.

Some bicycle riders, mountain bike riders in particular, prefer to wearloose style clothing in addition to a tight fitting garment. Theseriders may wear a one piece athletic garment underneath a pair of loosefitting shorts for example. The tight fitting garment may alsoincorporate a pad for seat comfort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The systems, methods and devices described herein have innovativeaspects, no single one of which is indispensable or solely responsiblefor their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of theclaims, some of the advantageous features will now be summarized.

One aspect of the present invention is the realization that manymountain bikers prefer to ride without backpacks to carry tools, food,water, and extra clothing as backpacks can be heavy and hot to wear. Inaddition, many mountain bikers who wear loose style clothing prefer notto carry many items in the pockets of their loose fitting shorts as ittends to bounce around inside the pockets, which can be bothuncomfortable and distracting. Conventional tight fitting clothing thatincorporates pockets into the back of the garment near the rider's lowerback (See FIG. 1), tends to force the waistband of the loose fittingshorts downward when the pockets are loaded, preventing the waistband ofthe pair of loose fitting shorts to sit at its intended location. Thus,there exists need for an improved athletic garment with integratedpockets.

One non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes anathletic garment comprising a garment configured to snugly fit a torsowherein the garment has a front portion and a rear portion. The athleticgarment further comprises a pocket secured to the rear portion of thegarment providing a stretchable pocket for containing items therein. Thepocket comprises a secured portion and a hanging portion wherein thesecured portion is secured to the garment and the hanging portion is notsecured to the garment.

Another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes amethod of manufacturing the invention described herein.

Another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes amethod of use of the invention described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Throughout the drawings, reference numbers can be reused to indicategeneral correspondence between reference elements. The drawings areprovided to illustrate example embodiments described herein and are notintended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a conventional athletic garmentwith fully secured pockets, wherein the pockets are loaded, including apair of loose fitting shorts worn over the garment.

FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of the rear of one embodiment ofan athletic garment with integrated hanging pocket, wherein the pocketsis loaded, including a pair of loose fitting shorts worn over thegarment.

FIG. 2B illustrates a rear view of the athletic garment of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of the front of one embodiment ofan athletic garment with integrated hanging pocket.

FIG. 3B illustrates a perspective view of the rear of the athleticgarment of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a singlepanel used to form one embodiment of a hanging pocket.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the rear of one embodiment ofan athletic garment with integrated hanging pocket including a pair ofloose fitting shorts worn over the garment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of the rear of one embodiment ofan athletic garment 100 with integrated hanging pocket 200, wherein thepocket 200 is loaded, including a pair of loose fitting shorts 300 wornover the garment. FIG. 2B illustrates a rear view of the athleticgarment 100 of FIG. 2A. In one embodiment, the athletic garment 100comprises a stretchable fabric and is constructed to snugly fit thetorso of a user. In one embodiment the stretchable fabric may be ventedor comprise apertures to keep the user cool. In one embodiment, theathletic garment 100 may comprise a fabric which is not stretchable. Inone embodiment the athletic garment 100 may comprise designs, logos, ornumbers printed on the garment 100. In one embodiment a user may includea casual exerciser. In one embodiment a user may include an athlete. Inanother embodiment a user may include a bicyclist, such as a roadbicyclist or a mountain biker.

In one embodiment, the athletic garment 100 has a front portion 110 anda rear portion 120. When worn by a user, the front portion 110 isadjacent their chest and stomach while the rear portion 120 is adjacenttheir back. In one embodiment, the rear portion 120 of the athleticgarment 100 includes a pocket 200 near the user's lower back to storeitems such as food, water, and tools. The location of the pocket 200allows the user to reach items stored in the pocket 200 without removingthe athletic garment 100 by reaching around to their lower back. In oneembodiment, the pocket 200 comprises a stretchable fabric forming astretchable pocket 200 for containing objects therein with a stretchfit. In one embodiment, the pocket 200 may comprise a fabric which isnot stretchable. In one embodiment, the pocket 200 may contain objecttherein without a stretch fit. In one embodiment, the athletic garment100 may include additional pockets in other locations to hold additionalitems.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2B, some users prefer to wear loose styleclothing in addition to a tight fitting garment 100. For example, theuser may wear a pair of loose fitting shorts 300 over an athleticgarment 100. In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the pocket maybe fully secured to the athletic garment. In other words, the pocket issecured to the garment along the sides and the bottom of the pocket. Dueto the preferred location of the pocket on the user's lower back forease of user access, the pocket tends to occupy the same space as thenatural position for a waistband of a pair of loose fitting shorts. Afully secured pocket tends to force the waistband of the loose fittingshorts downward when the pocket is loaded, preventing the waistband ofthe pair of loose fitting shorts to sit at its intended location. Aloaded pocket refers to a pocket which has items such as food, water, ortools stored within the pocket. The dislodging of the pair of loosefitting shorts by the loaded pocket inhibits the fit and comfort of theloose fitting shorts. The shorts may bunch up or the garment may ride upthe user's back due to the force exerted by the waistband of the loosefitting shorts, causing discomfort to the user.

In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2B and 3A-3B, thepocket 200 comprises a secured portion 205 and a hanging portion 210.The secured portion 205 comprising a portion of the pocket 200 which issecured to the athletic garment 100 and the hanging portion 210comprising a portion of the pocket 200 which is not secured to theathletic garment 100. In one embodiment, the secured portion 205 may besecured to the garment 100 with a single use fastener, such as stitchingor adhesive. In another embodiment, the secured portion 205 may besecured to the athletic garment 100 in other ways, such as with areadily reusable fastener, such as, for example, snaps, buttons,zippers, hook and loop fasteners such as those sold in connection withthe trademark VELCRO®, magnets, etc. The secured portion 205 of thepocket 200 is desirably the portion closer to the head of the user whilethe hanging portion 210 is closer to the feet of the user. In oneembodiment, the secured portion 205 is located above the naturalposition for a waistband 310 of a pair of loose fitting shorts 300. Inone embodiment, at least some of the hanging portion 210 is located atthe same height as the natural position for a waistband 310 of a pair ofloose fitting shorts 300. FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a pair of loose fittingshorts 300 worn with the waistband 310 at a natural position on a user.The hanging portion 210 of the pocket 200 allows some of the pocket 200to overhang the waistband 310 of the loose fitting shorts 300 sincethere is no connection between the hanging portion 210 of the pocket 200and the athletic garment 100. As illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2B, the waistband 310 of the loose fitting shorts 300 at its natural locationoccupies the space between the athletic garment 100 and the hangingportion 210 of the pocket 200. The hanging portion 210 allows the loosefitting shorts 300 and the pocket 200 to occupy the same area near theuser's lower back, allowing the loose fitting shorts 300 to sit at theirnatural position and not be forced downwards by a loaded pocket 200while the pocket 200 is located in an ideal location for the user toaccess the contents of the pocket 200.

FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of the front of one embodiment ofan athletic garment 100 with integrated hanging pocket 200. FIG. 3Billustrates a perspective view of the rear of the athletic garment 100of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3B also illustrates an unloaded pocket 200. An unloadedpocket 200 refers to an empty pocket 200 which does not contain anyitems. In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3B, the athleticgarment 100 comprises an upper body portion 130 as well as a lower bodyportion 140. In one embodiment, the athletic garment 100 comprises onesingle piece once manufacturing is complete. In one embodiment, theathletic garment 100 may comprise multiple pieces, an upper body portion130 and a lower body portion 140 for example. In one embodiment, theathletic garment 100 may only comprise an upper body portion 130. In oneembodiment the athletic garment 100 may comprise multiple pieces offabric secured together. In one embodiment the pieces of fabric may besecured together using stitches. In one embodiment the stitches may be,for example, double stitches, single needle stitches, or flatlockstitches. In one embodiment, the pieces of fabric may be securedtogether using an adhesive. Materials used in the athletic garment 100may include, for example, polyester, nylon, and spandex.

In one embodiment, the upper body portion 130 is constructed to snuglyfit at least a user's torso. In one embodiment, the upper body portion130 resembles a jersey. In one embodiment, the upper body portion 130may be constructed like a shirt which fully encompasses the user's torsoand at least a portion of their arms. In one embodiment the upper bodyportion 130 may include sleeves. In another embodiment the upper bodyportion 130 may not include sleeves. In one embodiment, the upper bodyportion 130 may use less material than a shirt-like configuration. Inone embodiment, the upper body portion 130 includes a front portion 110and a rear portion 120. In one embodiment, the front portion 110 andrear portion 120 may be joined by a pair of connecting portions 150,such as shoulder straps which run over the top of the user's shouldersto support the athletic garment 100. In one embodiment, the upper bodyportion 130 may take on alternative configurations which are known tothose skilled in the art.

In one embodiment, the lower body portion 140 is constructed to snuglyfit at least a portion of a user's thighs, buttox, and groin. In oneembodiment, the lower body portion 140 resembles a pair of shorts. Inone embodiment, the lower body portion 140 is joined to the upper bodyportion 130. In one embodiment, the lower body portion 140 mayincorporate portions which are less elastic than other regions in orderto retain the athletic garment 100 in its proper location. In oneembodiment the lower portion of the lower body portion 140 whichsurrounds each thigh may comprise a portion which is less elastic thanthe rest of the garment 100 to more snugly fit the thighs and preventthe thigh portions of the lower body portion 140 from riding up theuser's legs. In one embodiment, the less elastic region may comprise aless elastic material. In one embodiment, instead of a portion ofmaterial which is less elastic, the athletic garment 100 may incorporatemultiple layers of material in order to achieve a portion of the garment100 which is less elastic than other portions of the athletic garment100. In one embodiment, the lower body portion 140 incorporates a pad160 constructed to cushion the user from bicycle seat. In oneembodiment, there is no distinct marking or seam on the athletic garment100 to demarcate a dividing line between the upper body portion 130 andlower body portion 140; the terms are simply used herein to helpdescribe embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view one embodiment of a single panel215 used to form one embodiment of a hanging pocket 200. In oneembodiment, the pocket 200 comprises a single panel 215 of stretchablematerial. In one embodiment, the pocket 200 may comprise a single panel215 of non-stretchable material. The single panel 215 comprises aforward portion 220 and a back portion 230. The forward portion 220 andback portion 230 are separated by a folding axis 240 which issubstantially horizontal and approximately parallel to a user'swaistline. The single panel 215 is folded along the folding axis 240 sothat the folding axis 240 comprises the intersection of the forwardportion 220 and the back portion 230 and the forward portion 220 formsthe front of the pocket 200 and the back portion 230 forms the back ofthe pocket 200. In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 comprises aforward upper edge 224, a forward left edge 222, and a forward rightedge 226. The back portion 230 comprises a back upper edge 234, a backleft edge 232, and a back right edge 236. The folding axis 240 islocated along the bottom of both the front portion 110 and the backportion 230. In one embodiment the forward upper edge 224 of the forwardportion 220 may be substantially horizontal. In one embodiment theforward upper edge 224 may comprise a contour. In one embodiment theforward upper edge 224 may be taller in the center than each side. Inone embodiment the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 may besubstantially horizontal. In one embodiment the back upper edge 234 maycomprise a contour. In one embodiment the back upper edge 234 may betaller in the center than each side.

In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 and back portion 230 of thehanging pocket 200 may not comprise a single panel. The forward portion220 and back portion 230 may be separate pieces of material. In oneembodiment, forward portion 220 comprises a forward bottom edge locatedalong the bottom of the forward portion 220. In on embodiment, the backportion 230 comprises a back bottom edge located along the bottom of theback portion 230. In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 is securedto the back portion 230 along the bottom edge of each portion. In oneembodiment, the forward portion 220 is secured to the back portion 230with stitching along the bottom edge of each portion.

In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 of the single panel 215 maybe larger than the back portion 230 so that the forward upper edge 224extends further up the athletic garment 100 than the back portion 230.In one embodiment, the forward left edge 222 and forward right edge 226of the forward portion 220 and the back left edge 232 and back rightedge 236 of the back portion 230 comprise extensions 228, 229, 238, 239protruding outwards from each edge. These extensions 228, 229, 238, 239may be integral to the forward portion 220 and back portion 230 of thepocket 200 or they may be additional material secured to the edges ofthe pocket 200. In one embodiment the forward left edge 222 of theforward portion 220 is secured to the back left edge 232 of the backportion 230 and the forward right edge 226 of the forward portion 220 issecured to the back right edge 236 of the back portion, forming a pouch.In one embodiment, the forward upper edge 224 and the extensions 228,229, 238, 239 are secured to the athletic garment 100. In one embodimentthe pocket 200 may not comprise extensions 228, 229, 238, 239 and eachedge may be secured to the garment 100. In one embodiment the backportion 230 may not comprise extensions 238, 239 and the back left edge232 and back right edge 236 may be secured to the forward portion 220and the extensions 228, 229 on the forward portion 220 may be secured tothe garment 100. In one embodiment the forward portion 220 may notcomprise extensions 228, 229 and the forward left edge 222 and forwardright edge 226 may be secured to the back portion 230 and the extensions238, 239 on the back portion 230 may be secured to the garment 100. Inone embodiment, the forward upper edge 224 may be secured to the garment100.

In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 forms one wall of the pocket200, wherein the forward portion 220 is the wall closest to the athleticgarment 100 and adjacent the user's back. The back portion 230 forms theoutside wall of the pocket 200. In one embodiment, the back upper edge234 of the back portion 230 is not secured to the forward portion 220 orthe athletic garment 100, forming a region between the back upper edge234 and the forward portion 220 where the user can insert items in thepouch formed within the pocket 200.

In one embodiment, the secured portion 205 of the pocket 200 comprises aportion of the pocket 200 which includes the forward upper edge 224 andthe extensions 228, 229, 238, 239. In one embodiment, the hangingportion 210 of the pocket 200 comprises the portion of the pocket 200which is located below the extensions 228, 229, 238, 239. In oneembodiment the extensions 228, 229, 238, 239 are constructed to reachthe left and right side garment seam 170 as illustrated in FIG. 5. Inother embodiments the pocket 200 may not comprise a single panel 215 butmay comprise multiple pieces of material secured together. In oneembodiment, the forward portion 220 and back portion 230 may compriseseparate pieces of material. In one embodiment, the forward portion 220and the back portion 230 may be the same size. In one embodiment, theback portion 230 may larger than the forward portion 220 and may extendfurther up the back of the athletic garment 100 than the forward portion220. In one embodiment, the pocket 200 may not comprise extensions 228,229, 238, 239. In one embodiment the pocket 200 may be sized to reachthe garment seam 170. In one embodiment the pocket 200 may be secured tothe athletic garment 100 at an area other than the garment seam 170. Inone embodiment, the center of the pocket 200 is substantially alignedwith the spine of the user. In other embodiments the pocket 200 may beoffset to either side of the spine. In other embodiments, alternativeconfigurations are possible.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the rear of one embodiment ofan athletic garment 100 with integrated hanging pocket 200 including apair of loose fitting shorts 300 worn over the garment 100. In oneembodiment, the athletic garment 100 comprises garment seam 170 betweendifferent pieces of material utilized to construct the athletic garment100. In one embodiment, the athletic garment 100 comprises a garmentseam 170 on each side of the athletic garment 100. In one embodiment thegarment seams 170 are substantially vertical or substantiallyperpendicular to a user's waistline. In one embodiment, in order tominimize the amount of seams in the athletic garment 100, the pocket 200is secured to the athletic garment 100 along the garment seam 170. Inone embodiment, as described above, the extensions 228, 229, 238, 239 ofthe pocket 200 are secured to the athletic garment 100 along the garmentseams 170. The portion of the pocket 200 which is secured to theathletic garment 100 is the secured portion 205. The hanging portion210, the portion below the secured portion 205, is not secured to theathletic garment 100 and able to hang over a pair of loose fittingshorts 300 located at their natural position as illustrated in FIG. 5.

In one embodiment, the secured portion 205 of the pocket 200 and thehanging portion 210 of the pocket 200 each comprise a portion of thevertical height of the pocket 200. In one embodiment, the securedportion 205 may comprise a larger portion of the vertical height of thepocket 200 than the hanging portion 210 and the ratio of the portion ofthe vertical height of the secured portion 205 to vertical height of thehanging portion 210 may be approximately, for example, 10 to 1, 9 to 1,8 to 1, 7 to 1, 6 to 1, 5 to 1, 4 to 1, 3 to 1, 2 to 1, or 1 to 1. Inone embodiment, the hanging portion 210 may comprise a larger portion ofthe vertical height of the pocket 200 than the secured portion 205 andthe ratio of portion of the vertical height of the hanging portion 210to the vertical height of the secured portion 205 may be approximately,for example, 10 to 1, 9 to 1, 8 to 1, 7 to 1, 6 to 1, 5 to 1, 4 to 1, 3to 1, 2 to 1, or 1 to 1. When defining the portion of the verticalheight of the pocket 200 for the secured portion 205 and the hangingportion 210 for the ratios listed above, and only for the ratios listedabove, the vertical height of the secured portion 205 shall be theaverage of the length between the point where the back upper edge 234intersects the back left edge 232 and the lowest point at which the backleft edge 232 is secured to the garment 100 and the length between thepoint where the back upper edge 234 intersects the back right edge 236and the lowest point at which the back right edge 236 is secured to thegarment 100, and the vertical height of the hanging portion 210 shall bethe average of the length between the lowest point at which the backleft edge 232 is secured to the garment 100 and the lowest point on theback left edge 232 and the length between the lowest point at which theback right edge 236 is secured to the garment 100 and the lowest pointon the back right edge 236. In addition, for defining the ratios above,the length of the back left edge 232 and back right edge 236 shallinclude any extensions 238, 239 which are part of each back left edge232 and back right edge 236.

In one embodiment, the pocket 200 may comprise a plurality ofsub-pockets 250. In one embodiment the pocket 200 comprises threesub-pocket 250. In one embodiment, there is a center sub-pocket, a leftsub-pocket, and a right sub-pocket. In one embodiment each sub-pocket250 is approximately the same size. In one embodiment the centersub-pocket may be larger than the other sub-pocket. In one embodimentthe center sub-pocket may be smaller than the other sub-pockets 250. Inone embodiment the center sub-pocket is substantially aligned with thespine of the user. In another embodiment, the center sub-pocket may beoffset to either side of the spine. In one embodiment, each sub-pocket250 may be separated from the other sub-pockets 250 by sub-pocketstitching 255 securing the back portion 230 of the pocket 200 to theforward portion 220 of the pocket 200. In one embodiment the sub-pocketstitching 255 spans the height of the pocket 200. In one embodiment, thesub-pocket stitching 255 may only span a portion of the height of thepocket 200. In one embodiment the sub-pocket stitching 255 issubstantially linear forming substantially vertical sub-pocket 250 whichitems can be inserted from the top. In one embodiment each sub-pocketstitching 255 separating each sub-pocket 250 may be angled to one sideor the other. In one embodiment, each sub-pocket stitching 255 may besubstantially horizontal. In one embodiment, the sub-pocket stitching255 may comprise an alternative method of securing said back portion 230to said forward portion 220, for example adhesives, hook and loopfasteners such as those sold in connection with the trademark VELCRO®,or buttons may be used.

In one embodiment the sub-pocket 250 may be angled to each side to allowthe user easier access to each sub-pocket 250 when reaching around theirback. In one embodiment, a sub-pocket 250 may be angled approximately 1degrees to approximately 45 degrees from vertical. In anotherembodiment, a sub-pocket 250 may be angled approximately 5 degrees to 30degrees from vertical. In one embodiment, a sub-pocket 250 may be angledapproximately 15 degrees to 25 degrees from vertical. In one embodiment,the center sub-pocket may be substantially vertical while the leftsub-pocket is angled to the left and the right sub-pocket is angled tothe right.

In one embodiment the pocket 200 may comprise regions which are lesselastic than other regions. In one embodiment, the rear upper edge maycomprise a region of lower elasticity than the rest of the pocket 200 inorder to retain any items stored within the pocket 200. In onembodiment, the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 of thepocket 200 comprises a region of lower elasticity. The region of lowerelasticity tends to pull tighter against the forward portion 220 of thepocket 200, and in some embodiments, tends to cover at least a portionof an item within the pocket 200 from above, preventing the item storedwithin the pocket 200 from falling out of the pocket 200 during anymovements the user may sustain. In other embodiments, the pocket 200 mayinclude other methods of retaining the items stored within the pocket200. In some embodiments, the pocket 200 may include means for pullingthe back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 of the pocket 200towards the front portion 110 or connecting the back upper edge 234 ofthe back portion 230 of the pocket 200 to the front portion 210. In oneembodiment the pocket 200 may include buttons to secure the back upperedge 234 of the back portion 230 to the forward portion 220. In otherembodiments the pocket 200 may include a zipper, a plurality of zippers,or magnets to secure the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 tothe forward portion 220. In another embodiment, the pocket 200 mayinclude a drawstring which runs through at least the back upper edge 234of the back portion 230 of the pocket 200 which pulls the back upperedge 234 towards the forward portion 220 when the drawstring is pulledtight by the user.

It should be noted that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and withoutdiminishing its attendant advantages. For instance, various componentsmay be repositioned as desired. It is therefore intended that suchchanges and modifications be included within the scope of the invention.Moreover, not all of the features, aspects and advantages arenecessarily required to practice the present invention. Accordingly, thescope of the present invention is intended to be defined only by theclaims that follow.

1. (canceled)
 2. An athletic article of clothing comprising: a garment comprising a front portion and a rear portion; and a pocket positioned adjacent an outside surface of the garment, the pocket comprising a secured portion and a hanging portion, wherein the secured portion is secured to the garment, and the hanging portion is not directly secured to the garment, wherein the hanging portion forms a space between the pocket and the rear portion of the garment and wherein the secured portion forms an opening.
 3. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the secured portion of the pocket is further secured to a seam between the front portion and the rear portion of the garment.
 4. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the hanging portion of the pocket comprises a first portion of a vertical height of the pocket, wherein the secured portion comprises a second portion of the vertical height of the pocket, and wherein a ratio of the first portion to the second portion is at least 1 to 1 and less than or equal to 4 to
 1. 5. The athletic article of clothing of claim 4, wherein the ratio of the first portion to the second portion is at least 2 to
 1. 6. The athletic article of clothing of claim 4, wherein the ratio of the first portion to the second portion is at least 3 to
 1. 7. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the hanging portion of the pocket comprises a first portion of a vertical height of the pocket, wherein the secured portion comprises a second portion of the vertical height of the pocket, and wherein a ratio of the first portion to the second portion is at least 2 to
 1. 8. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the hanging portion of the pocket comprises a first portion of a vertical height of the pocket, wherein the secured portion comprises a second portion of the vertical height of the pocket, and wherein a ratio of the first portion to the second portion is at least 3 to
 1. 9. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the garment does not comprise any sleeves.
 10. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein a bottom edge of the pocket is substantially horizontal when the athletic article of clothing is oriented as the athletic article of clothing would be worn by a user standing in an upright position.
 11. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein a top edge of the pocket is substantially horizontal when the athletic article of clothing is oriented as the athletic article of clothing would be worn by a user standing in an upright position.
 12. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the pocket comprises a plurality of sub-pockets.
 13. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the pocket comprises a forward portion and a back portion, the forward portion of the pocket being positioned between the back portion of the pocket and the rear portion of the garment.
 14. The athletic article of clothing of claim 13, wherein the forward portion of the pocket comprises a forward left edge and a forward right edge, and the back portion of the pocket comprises a back left edge and a back right edge, wherein the back left edge is secured to the forward left edge, and the back right edge is secured to the forward right edge, and wherein at least a portion of the forward left edge and at least a portion of the forward right edge are secured to the garment.
 15. The athletic article of clothing of claim 13, wherein the pocket comprises a plurality of sub-pockets separated by sub-pocket stitching securing the back portion of the pocket to the forward portion of the pocket.
 16. The athletic article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sub-pockets comprises a center sub-pocket, a left sub-pocket, and a right sub-pocket, wherein the center sub-pocket is at least partially defined by sub-pocket stitching that is substantially linear and extends substantially vertically when the athletic article of clothing is oriented as the athletic article of clothing would be worn by a user standing in an upright position.
 17. The athletic article of clothing of claim 16, wherein the sub-pocket stitching that at least partially defines the center sub-pocket spans a height of the pocket.
 18. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, further comprising a lower body portion comprising a stretchable material configured to snugly fit at least a portion of a user's thighs, buttocks, and groin.
 19. The athletic article of clothing of claim 18, wherein the lower body portion is joined to the garment with stitching.
 20. The athletic article of clothing of claim 18, wherein there is no distinct seam demarcating a dividing line between the garment and the lower body portion.
 21. The athletic article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the athletic article of clothing does not comprise a lower body portion configured to fit a portion of a user's thighs, buttocks, and groin. 